Technical Field
The present invention relates to personal storage devices and, more particularly to secure personal storage devices that offer read-only and read-write functionality.
Description of the Related Art
Personal storage devices have become commonplace, allowing users to carry large amounts of data with them on devices as small as their thumbnail. These devices typically use a common interface, such as universal serial bus (USB) that allow the users to access their device from any computer.
However, the ubiquity of these devices has provoked attacks against them. When the device is accessed from an untrusted computer, that computer has the ability to write malicious data to the device. As a result, these devices become a common vector for the spread of viruses and other malicious software, completely bypassing internet-facing channels by employing individual users to physically bring the malicious software past a network's firewalls.
Additionally, even attempts to secure the device—e.g., through encryption—can be circumvented by direct access to the hardware. Existing devices have difficulty protecting against such attacks, as an attacker with physical access and the right tools can simply access the device's decryption functions directly.